


The Balance

by water_bby



Category: Gorgeous Carat
Genre: M/M, Yuletide
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-07-10
Updated: 2013-07-10
Packaged: 2017-12-18 07:46:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,235
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/877349
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/water_bby/pseuds/water_bby





	The Balance

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Arasoi](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=Arasoi).



Florian huffed lightly before turning the corner and beginning his walk down the street to distract anyone who might be watching from Noir's movements. Not that Florian thought anyone would notice Noir even without a distraction, but the annoying thief took pleasure in forcing Florian to occasionally participate in his thefts, particularly when he could get Florian to wear a dress.

So here he was, walking two blocks in a gown just to amuse his lover. The plan was fairly simple this time, walk two blocks, cut down an alley, and then return to the car to wait for Noir. Simple. Right. Because walking was anything _but_ simple in a dress designed by Paul Poiret. Florian disliked corsets, but he loathed hobble skirts. Next time, he'd insist on something less fashionable and more comfortable.

He wasn't paying attention to much except how long it would be before he could get out of this damned dress as he made his way down the alley, and so he wasn't aware of any one else near him until the man grabbed him. Florian tried to fight him off, the thought flashing through his mind that Laila was right--pants were much more sensible--while he failed to get any traction in the narrow skirt.

He did manage to land a blow to the man's face with an elbow before his head was slammed into a near-by wall.

\--

Solomon Sugar, once of the Paris Police and now a private investigator, heard the sound of a cut-off scream and ran down the alley, scaring a man away from the woman sliding into a heap by the wall. He had been asked to help in the inquiry into a number of robberies in the area, and he hoped that he had interrupted this one in time to prevent a serious injury. He knelt by the woman, careful not to touch her bleeding wounds, and realized that it was not a woman, but Florian Rochefort. Damn. Well, he would just have to return Florian to the household of Ray Balzac Courland.

At least he would have a chance to see Laila. Maybe she'd be pleased enough with him for returning Florian to forgive him for teasing her about calling Ray "Noir."

\--

Ray Balzac Courland, Count Courland, moneylender, and the Phantom Thief Noir, made his way back to his car pleased at his night's work. He had talked Florian into wearing a dress again, he had had no trouble getting into or out of the house, the safe was just difficult enough to be a pleasant challenge, and he was now the possessor of a pair of amethyst cufflinks that were a perfect match to Florian's eyes. His good mood evaporated quickly when Florian was not at the car. He retraced the other man's steps, stopping when necessary to speak with social acquaintances who assumed that he was either coming from or on his way to a party in one of the houses lining the street. When he finally made it to the alley he'd told Florian to use, he slipped into the darkness and headed back to his car. Three-quarters of the way down the alley, he noticed a patch of blood on the road and the signs of a struggle. Dread settled in him as he picked up a scrap of cloth that matched Florian's dress. He ran for his car, the need to be some place where he could plan pounding in his blood. Someone had hurt Florian, _taken_ Florian, and he needed to find out who.

He found his household strangely silent when he returned. No one met him in the garage, no one was in the hall, no one seemed to be around at all. Considering that Noel (why _had_ Florian insisted on housing the boy?) could make enough noise for a small army all by himself, there should be at least some sound. He moved quickly toward the stairs that led to the bedrooms, and here he found his men, clumped together in small groups, speaking only in whispers.

Before he could choose whether to berate them or to ignore them--did he really want to know?--Laila's voice reached him from the upper hall. Laila's voice. Laila's worried voice, saying something about the doctor having come and leading him toward the door to Florian's room.

And why was Solomon Sugar there?

\--

Laila had learned early in their relationship that Noir did not deal well with an injured Florian, so she kept talking, waiting for a sign that he was paying attention to her. When they reached Solomon, she nodded at the detective to explain how he had come to bring Florian home unconscious. And then they waited for the doctor, letting Noir piece the events together in his mind.

\--

Ray dropped his night's take on his bed, let Hassan help him change, and went through the connecting door to Florian's room. The doctor promised Florian would be fine, that he just needed rest and some medicines for the headache. But Ray needed to see the other man, needed to keep watch. This was his fault. He'd made Florian wear that damned hobbling dress, made him walk down that alley, made him a target for the footpad. He had to make sure Florian was going to recover, yet again.

When he entered the other man's room, Florian blinked at him sleepily from within a nest of bedding, holding out a hand to beckon Ray closer. Ray moved swiftly to the side of the bed, reaching for Florian's hand and sitting on the bed beside him. He opened his mouth, wanting to say something but unsure what to say, but Florian simply smiled at him and then fell back into sleep. Ray's worry eased slightly, but he still spent most of the night in one of the chairs, rousing from a light doze when Laila brought a tray of food or when Florian moaned in pain.

As the first hint of light began to show in the morning sky, Florian awoke again, smiled at him, that damned, forgiving smile, and raised an edge of the cover. Ray returned the smile, removed his jacket, and slipped into the bed, wrapping himself around his lover, relieved that, one more time, Florian had survived. Finally, he was able to drop into a deep sleep.

\--

A week later, Ray smirked as he handed Florian the latest version of the other man's I.O.U. As expected, Florian questioned the presence of the medical costs in his debt to Ray: "What! I was wounded working for you, why doesn't it go on _your_ account?" And Ray just grinned harder as Florian stomped out of the room, closing the door behind him with a sound just short of a slam. He knew the action was at last partially for show, but it felt good to know that Florian would not be leaving.

\--

Meanwhile, Florian grinned and winked at Laila as he passed her in the hall. After all, one didn't spend years living with a jewel thief without eventually learning something about gemstones. The large blue diamond nestled in Florian's drawer, the one Ray insisted was worthless, was still worth more than his current account. But if it made Ray more comfortable to believe that Florian couldn't, wouldn't, leave because of that debt, then Florian was willing to leave the other man his illusions.

 


End file.
